Is there a band whose music has been like an old friend to you down through the years? My Silent Wake has been that band for me. Hailing from the coastal town of Weston-super-Mare in England, they’ve been making doomy metal since 2005. And while the music itself may seem quite brutal and depressing, believe me when I say that it’s gotten me through some bleak times in my life.
There were many years of suicidal ideation, many years of crushing anxiety, many years of toxic religion. Throughout it all, the songs of My Silent Wake gave me a safe space in which I could unearth myself and actually breathe. I felt buried by life. I needed air. This music gave me that.
I’ve been doing much better for over a decade now, and listening to My Silent Wake these days continues to bring me joy. I feel moved by it, free because of it, maybe even a bit empowered by it. I am grateful that this band exists, and I’m grateful to all its members, past and present, who have made it what it is today. I recently shared an image I’d created with Ian Arkley—one of its founding members—as just a little thank you for… well, everything. Unbeknownst to me, he decided to set this image to the song it had been inspired by—called ‘Sullen Earth’—and put it on YouTube.
I’m grinning like a dope.
by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022
unbolt me 
Tony,
Glad you found something to encourage you.
Thanks,
Gary
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Thanks, Gary! 😄
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Music is so powerful and def different strokes for different folks.
This may have thrown me into a full depression.. 😂❣️
Glad it worked for you❣️
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I completely get you on that, Cindy. Music is such a subjective thing. What works for one person may have the opposite effect on someone else. Thank goodness there are all kinds of music the world over then. Everybody wins! 😆
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Love that. Thank you for sharing, I’d never have found them otherwise.
For myself, my faithful go-to bands are Rush and Pink Floyd. Floyd especially has got me through many of life’s traumas (and there have been more than a few)
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Oh my god, Pink Floyd are great! I was first exposed to them in art college with a screening of their concept film for ‘The Wall’. Those animated marching hammers still haunt my dreams! As for Rush, Tati’s dad introduced me to them when I visited Ukraine in 2019. I can see why you’d regard them so highly too!
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My first encounter with Pink Floyd was when a boyfriend (a guitarist) gave me Dark Side of the Moon. Rush had to wait till I went to art college, then it was Hemispheres & Farewell to Kings! Superb!!!
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I’m always grateful to those who take the time to introduce me to new music. It’s always worth it when you get to explore a band you’d never heard of before!
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There was a time my daughter was my main introducer (while at college she had a Saturday job in a music shop)
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Wow!
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Yes, it’s something else! 😋
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My gosh, yes, music has the power to lift one’s spirits, doesn’t it. Next time you need a li’l’ boost, put your headphones on and check out these three go-to selections of mine.
Deborah Bond: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCXKaeeca-U
(Lovely cover of DeBarge “All This Love”)
Inga Rumpf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPqHHW3QQJQ
(She’s my age and still rocking.)
Brian Auger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6hEZf3LMVU
(Yep, happiness is just around the bend…)
TTFN and keep on keepin’ on, my friend.
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Oh, some wonderful choices here, my friend! Thank you for sharing these with me! 😄🙏
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Green Day has been my band. “Walking Contradiction” describes me and “Wake Me Up When September Ends” describes how I feel during my birth month!
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Nice choice, Brandon. I’m listening to ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ right now, and it’s making me think of someone special. 💙💛
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